John Chaplin, Director of External Affairs and Special Projects for the Bristol Port Company, was the speaker at Clutton History Group’s first meeting of 2018. John’s interesting digital presentation was entitled: ‘Bristol Port – past, present and future’.

Some form of dock has existed on the River Avon since Roman times, when the settlement of Portus Abonae was created at Sea Mills in the third century AD.

The City of Bristol grew up on the banks of the rivers Avon and Frome at their confluence upstream of the Avon Gorge. Since the 13th century, the banks of the rivers were modified to create quays and wharfs, and St Augustine’s Reach became the centre of the harbour.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Port of Bristol was that it was tidal, with a rise and fall of at least 30ft (9m), meaning that shipping could only move on a high tide. It was not until the early 1800s that the floating harbour was constructed, which allowed shipping to remain afloat. Another restriction to shipping was in the Avon Gorge at the notorious Horseshoe Bend. Many vessels have floundered here, having misjudged the tide and run aground.

To negotiate the river successfully, boats had to be no more than 300ft (91m) long, and as ships became larger, something needed to be done. To keep up with competition from the docks in Liverpool and London etc., it was decided in 1877 to build a new dock at Avonmouth. With good railway connections, the new dock proved to be a successful enterprise.

In 1884, Bristol Corporation purchased both Avonmouth and Portishead Docks in order to maintain control. By the early 1900s, further expansion was required, which led to the construction of the Royal Edward Dock, that was opened by the King in 1908.

By 1911, 27 oil storage tanks had been installed, and later, in 1928, new grain silos were added. During World War II, further expansion took place from 1941, with more facilities for unloading oil and petrol, and a new supply pipeline, for oil products, was laid to London.

By the 1960s, the new large container ships were unable to negotiate the Royal Edward dock, so plans were drawn up to build a new facility on the south side of the river. Work started on the Royal Portbury dock in 1972, and it was opened in 1977. In its early days, the dock had mixed fortunes and was subsidised by Bristol City Council.

In 1991, Terence Mordaunt and David Ord purchased the dock from the council, formed The Bristol Port Company and with private investment, turned the fortunes of the dock around.

The port now has one of the largest facilities for handling motor vehicles – 800,000 units per annum – with good, hard-standing parking areas and compounds for storage. Other commodities that are handled at Portbury are

aviation fuel, coal, bulk agricultural products, bottled wine and containers.

Cruise Liners are also now using new facilities at the port, with well known operators such as Fred Olsen and SAGA.

The Bristol Port Company has installed three large wind turbines, which provide 75% of the port’s energy requirement, and is looking at other means of ecologically generating power in the future.

As to the future, a new deep-sea container terminal has been proposed to be built in an area adjacent to the Royal Edward dock, capable of handling some of the largest container vessels. It will be built on reclaimed land, currently mud flats and home to species of wading birds. To compensate for this loss of habitat, land has already been purchased near Hinkley Point, known as the Bristol Port Company Steart Habitat Creation Scheme. Here the sea defences will be breached to allow the creation of new mud flats.

It is staggering to think that 95% of the country’s imports come through sea ports, and The Bristol Port Company is well placed to benefit with excellent road and rail links to every part of the country.

Clutton History Group next meet in the Village Hall on Tuesday, 13th February at 8 p.m. when we welcome back Dr Cathryn Spence, who will be giving a digital presentation entitled: ‘What has the river ever done for us? – The history of the River Avon in Bath’.

For further information please telephone: 01761 471533.